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A Butcher, a Baker, a Bicycle Maker: New Bicycle Friendly Businesses Awarded

Bicycle Friendly Business

by League Staff

Washington, DC, December 20, 2017 — Today, the League of American Bicyclists recognizes 58 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses (BFB). Since 2008, over 1,400 businesses have earned the title; currently there are 1,118 businesses in all 50 states and the District of Columbia that hold a BFB designation.

This diverse round includes a butcher in Stillwater, OK, 1907 Meat Co., a new Bronze BFB, and Pembroke Bakery & Cafe, a new Bronze BFB in Fort Wayne, IN. There are also several bike manufacturers, including a children’s bike company, new Silver BFB Prevelo Bikes in Westlake Village, CA.

“This round has proven once again that the BFB program isn’t just for bike-related businesses,” said Amelia Neptune, Director of the League’s Bicycle Friendly America program. “While there are some exemplary bike shops, planning firms, bike share companies and local bike advocacy organizations, we also saw hospitals, churches, community gardens, coffee roasters, law firms and so much more. The Bicycle Friendly Business program works for just about any business type, and every workplace in America has the potential to be bicycle-friendly.”

In Fort Wayne, IN, Pembroke Bakery donates bagels, pastries, and donuts to the City of Fort Wayne’s monthly Bike-to-Work Friday events, as well as free cookies for all participants in the community's annual Cyclofemme ride. The bakery adds, “We've been an annual sponsor three of the last five years for the annual county-wide map of multipurpose trails, bike lanes, MTB trails, sharrows and bike routes, for the map created by Fort Wayne Trails. We also became a ‘trail-friendly-business’ and provide a free cookie with purchase and free water refills to all customers with their bike helmets or trail map in-hand.”

Bike manufacturer Accell North America in Kent, WA, a new Gold BFB, explains the top benefit they see from being bicycle-friendly, “seeing people walking around the office noticeably happier and less lethargic because they just got off their bicycle, or off one of the many bikes around the office on a lunch ride.”

Three Oaks Engineering in Durham, NC, which moved up to Silver this round has seen similar results in their office,“By far, the most positive outcome [of being bicycle friendly] is how happy it makes the staff. Now that everyone has access to shared use bikes, and there are nearby greenways and bike lanes, it feels like something that everyone [bike commuters and others] can share in.”

The University of California, Davis, is a Platinum Bicycle Friendly University and has renewed its Platinum BFB status as an employer. “From a business perspective, the University's successful support for bicycling has led to increased productivity among its employees through improved health, fitness and reduced sick days. Our high bicycle mode share increases the campus and community’s renowned quality of life which has been responsible for recruiting and retaining employees. Additionally, the high mode share for bicycling means very significant cost savings due to reduced demand for expensive parking facilities whose cost can range from $6,000 per parking space in surface lots to upwards of $40,000 per space in parking structures.”

Alta Planning + Design, Durham, NC

Alta Planning + Design’s Durham, NC, office, which moved up to Gold BFB status this round is often mistaken for a bike shop. “We take the opportunity when members of the public drop in to give them directions to the nearby bike shop, as well as encouraging them to take bike-related brochures and bumper stickers from our display table. These include bike maps of Durham and Raleigh, share-the-road stickers and postcards for upcoming bike summits and trails conferences.”

Three separate Kaiser Permanente hospital locations in California advanced their Bicycle Friendly Business status this round: Folsom moved from Silver to Gold, while the Point West and Fair Oaks Medical Office Buildings in Sacramento both moved from Honorable Mention to Silver and Bronze, respectively. Since their Honorable Mention application in 2016, the Point West location developed an employee Bicycle User Group, added bike lockers for commuters, designed a bicycle jersey and added bike safety classes for staff. The Gold-level Folsom location now has an on-site League Cycling Instructoron staff and offers bike safety classes to local neighborhood businesses as well.

St. Petersburg, FL, was particularly impressive this round, with eight businesses receiving new Bicycle Friendly Business awards and two receiving Honorable Mentions. In October, we took a look a how a St. Pete team is working to make their city more bicycle friendly and striving to create the nation’s first ‘BFB Block.’ One of those St. Pete businesses is new Bronze BFB, King of Peace Metropolitan Community Church. “For much of its existence, King of Peace has been dedicated to community health. Being bike-friendly is an extension of this dedication — encouraging residents to be more active, such as by bicycling, is a key way to improve community health.”

To apply for bicycle-friendly recognition for your business, or to learn more about the BFB program, visit bikeleague.org/business.

The Bicycle Friendly Community℠, Bicycle Friendly State℠, Bicycle Friendly Business℠ and Bicycle Friendly University℠ programs are generously supported by program partner Dero Bike Racks and League members. To learn more about building a Bicycle Friendly America, visit www.bikeleague.org/BFA.

The League of American Bicyclists is leading the movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. As leaders, our commitment is to listen and learn, define standards and share best practices to engage diverse communities and build a powerful, unified voice for change.